Teasing Season Three
by EricBonesVladCurran
Summary: A series of one-shots based on HBO's pre-season 3 weekly teasers. Because, as HBO wittily noted, waiting sucks. For your reference, there are links to each of HBO's weekly teasers in my profile.
1. Teaser 1: In Production Eric

**Disclaimer for the whole fanfic: HBO and Alan Ball own **_**True Blood**_**, I'm just writing to entertain myself (and hopefully others!) until June 13th, because, as they so aptly put it, "Waiting sucks." No infringement intended at all.**

_This will be a series of one-shots based on the snippets HBO reveals in the weeks leading up to the premiere of season three. __They will probably all be very short, and may end up contradicting one another. _I will do my best to get each chapter posted within 24 hours after each teaser airs. (Since I'm trying to get these one-shots out so quickly, they will probably all be un-beta'd. So I apologize in advance for any mistakes I might miss in my proofing and I'm sorry about any possible roughness in the writing.) 

_**Links to HBO's teasers are in my profile, at the top of the page.**_

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Teaser One: In Production - Eric / Who Are You?

I've never held a gun before. Inexplicably, that's the first thing that crosses my mind as a man mean as spit starts launching himself at me-hands out, curled up like claws. Sure, I mean, I've held a shotgun, even fired one off a time or two because Jason thought I ought to know how to do it, but not a pistol, never a pistol. It was cold, and shiny. It was small, I could hardly believe something so tiny could cause so much damage, but it had.

_

* * *

Earlier that evening…._

Tara was wiping down the bar while Lafayette's voice sang out from the kitchen, "It's raining men! Hallelujah! It's raining men!" As little as I felt like smiling, a small one still appeared on my lips. It was nice to hear Lafayette getting back to his old self. He'd been through a whole lot the past few weeks, and he deserved all the happiness he could get.

Arlene fluttered around anxiously and she was broadcasting so loud, I couldn't help but hear her, _Oh, I hope Terry gets back from his fishing trip tonight. I really need to talk with him._ My brow furrowed, but it wasn't any of my business. Besides, I'd had had a long day and had enough troubles of my own. Since Sam has been gone, we've all taken turns opening the bar and then staying as long as we were needed. Today was my day, and I stayed until close. Thankfully Tara had offered to do my closing work. As I threw my dirty apron into the hamper and grabbed my purse out of Sam's office, I called out to Arlene, Lafayette and Tara, "Bye y'all! Have a good night!"

I made my way to my car, digging through my purse, hunting around for my keys, so I didn't know what was waiting for me until it was too late.

"It's really not very wise to not look around while you're outside alone at night. You never know what sort of creature might be out to get you." I looked up at the unmistakable sound of arrogance that is Eric Northman's voice. His long body was leaning against my car like a GQ model, and his lip was curled up as he grinned at his own little joke. He was right, and I hated that. But as aggravating as he is, he was pretty much my only shot at getting Bill back, so I swallowed my acrid reply and instead focused on the most relevant questions.

"What did you find out? Do you know where he is?"

The grin vanished as his face resumed its usual affected look of boredom. He stood up to his full length, taking a moment to stretch out his long arms. I tried not to notice his rippling pecs underneath his fitted t-shirt and black leather jacket. And, oh, were those man cuts just inside his hips that I saw when his shirt lifted up the tiniest bit? I closed my eyes and shook my head to clear my mind of any lust. It may be the natural reaction of anyone attracted to the male gender, but I still felt bad about those split-seconds. I'm an engaged woman, well, the groom-to-be may not know it yet, but for all intents and purposes I am. After Eric finished his languorous stretch, which no doubt he did to see what my reaction would be, he finally answered my question.

"We should get to your house before we start talking, the forest has eyes." His nostrils flared and his pupils made the tiniest of glances just above me and to my sides. I wasn't sure if he was being serious or not, but who knows, maybe tree sprites exist.

"Get in," I ordered as I started getting into my car myself, if my voice was inpatient, I couldn't help it. Eric's idea of helping me seemed to include as little actual help as possible while causing me the greatest amount of inconvenience possible. He grunted in reply, probably not very thrilled at the idea of fitting his tall frame into my tiny VW Rabbit.

As my engine choked the first time I tried to turn it over, Eric's voice rang out with annoyance, "Why are you driving this, this…" His voice was drowned out as the engine started up the second time I tried and I threw the car into drive, and drove faster than I have in a long time, my eyes glaring at the road ahead. As much as I needed him, I still couldn't wait to get away from the ego-tripping jerk. I had to slow down when I got to my gravel driveway, the gravel wasn't even enough for me to go very quickly without doing even more damage.

Again, that irritating voice piped up, "Why haven't you fixed your driveway, yet? Didn't the direct deposit clear for your work in Dallas?"

By that point, we were already at my house and the car's engine was off. I started my reply by jumping out of my car, and slamming the door shut. Over the roof of my car I seethed at him, "For your information, _Eric_," I started before deciding that I couldn't bear to stand still and began stomping towards my front door. "While _I _was helping _you_ in Dallas, nearly getting raped and murdered, my home was being destroyed from the inside out by some _monster_." I took a deep breath before continuing, it felt good to vent. "So, no, I haven't been able to re-gravel my driveway, even though it _really _needs it. And, no, I don't make enough money to drive a nicer car."

"But Bill-"

"Bill, what!?" I couldn't believe he had the gall to interrupt me, and I continued my tirade as stuck my key in the door and opened it, "Do you think I'd let myself be some kind of kept woma-"

And that's when a bullet, aimed right at my heart, exploded from a gun that was at point-blank range. I didn't even have time to react. I just stood there, dumbfounded, wondering about my luck. Wondering why anyone would want to kill me, Sookie Stackhouse, waitress. Wondering what I possibly could have done wrong in my life to end up in this position-the position of someone trying to kill me-yet again. Fortunately for me, Eric didn't seem to be bothered by those sorts of existential questions. He leaped in front of me and took a bullet, right in his torso. I could barely even breathe a sigh of relief before the man in front of me cocked the pistol and aimed at me again.

"Invite me in, Sookie!" Eric's rage broke my reverie.

"You can go in!" it probably wasn't the quickest way I could invite him in, but it was quick enough. He launched himself at the intruder, blocking his shot and taking another bullet to the chest. He wrestled the gun away from him and slid it my way.

"Take the gun, Sookie!" I picked it up quicker than I imagined possible; I guess my sense of self-preservation beat out my shock and my aversion to guns.

I held the pistol in front of me, trying to steady my hands, but not completely succeeding. I watched as Eric and the shirtless man, who's torso was covered in tattoos wrestled on the ground. At one point, the man got free and tried to attack me with his bare hands, but Eric took him down quickly. I tried to reach into the intruder's mind, but like the sight in front of me, it was a snarl of red and black. He must have been a shifter of some kind, but I knew vampires were much stronger so Eric's injuries must have been slowing him down a lot. I started to ask Eric if I should shoot the shifter, but I realized I wouldn't be able to, so I just bit my tongue and watched as Eric roared.

"WHO SENT YOU?"

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_What do you think? Is this what you imagined based on that clip? What do you think will happen differently/instead? __Hit the green button and let me know! I'd love to hear everyone's theories! _

_And as an aside, I really do wait with bated breath and a constantly refreshing gMail tab open for new reviews. Thank you so much for all your feedback! Helpful criticism is fantastic, raving reviews are wonderful, but even a quick "Nice job" or "Sweet!" brings me great joy. _


	2. Teaser 2: In Production Sam

Teaser 2: In-Production Sam / Which One Is It?

It's funny how time passes when you're not paying attention.

I've always been one to focus on the here and now. Live in the moment. I guess that's what you have to do when you don't have a past worth remembering. So it wasn't until I was standing in the Merlotte living room that I realized it had been 19 years since they abandoned me. Two decades since my first shift. Two decades of hiding who I really am.

The other reason I focus on the now is it was always hard for me to imagine a future. I mean, sure, I want what every man wants, a house, a wife, 2.5 kids. But it was hard to imagine that working out. How would I explain where I was once a month? And what about the kids? Would they turn out like me? What would I do then? Would my wife leave me, leave our kids? It was all too much. With Sookie it at least seemed like there would be a chance. She was different too. She knew that there was more out there. But I was afraid. I'd waited so long to find someone, I'd all but given up. And then Sookie walked into my bar and asked if I was hiring. Not only was she different, she was stunning, sweet, and smart. But I was intimidated and I waited too long and missed my shot.

Sookie did make a good point though; I need to open up about who I am to have a real relationship. But that's hard to do when you don't really know much about where you come from or what you really are. After my first kiss with Daphne, when I opened my mouth to tell her, I wasn't sure what I would say, "Hi, I'm a dog-man, but most of the time I'm normal"? Fortunately, she saved me from myself and gave me the best surprise of my life. Yes, even after everything that followed, watching her shift still counts as one of the best moments of my life.

When I was talking with her the next night, it hit home just how little I knew about myself, about my kind, about my people. I suppose I should've asked her more questions, but I was so enthralled by her. I figured we had all the time in the world, so why interrogate her when we could be running through the forest or christening the bar. I was blinded with my infatuation and couldn't see straight until it was too late.

As much as her betrayal hurt, I'm still thankful to Daphne. If nothing else, she gave me the push I needed to find out who I really am. For the first few years I was on my own, it was too painful to think of the questions in the back of my mind. Then I got so used to ignoring those burning questions, the way you get used to the shriek of a kettle of boiling water, that I barely ever thought of them. But Daphne changed all that. Meeting her highlighted just how little I knew and made me want to learn more. I want to know more about being a shifter. I want to know what my real name is.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not expecting a tearful family reunion or a prodigal son homecoming. I'm too jaded to hope for that. I just want some answers. It's the least they can do.

I look at the piece of paper in my hand.

_**Melinda & Joe Lee Mickens last known in Magnolia, Ark**_

The bottom of the note was somewhere on the floor of the Merlotte's home. I tore off the apology before my foot stepped out of their house. I wouldn't let myself get distracted from my mission. The Merlottes had given me what I needed, a lead to my real family. I didn't need anything more from them. I _wouldn't_ take anything more from them.

Clutching the scrawled note in my hand, I revved my pickup truck's engine and headed for the highway. I drove most the night, but at about three in the morning, maneuvering the empty road started to feel hazardous. I could tell my reflexes were slowing and my eyelids were growing heavy with sleep. There was an off-ramp a quarter mile up the road, and I took that exit. At the end of the ramp I could see a small town to my left, so I turned right, away from those electric lights and towards nature. Driving very slowly, I found a makeshift entry into the woods. The deeply rutted tire tracks in the mud curved around quite a bit, but finally the forest opened up to a field. I was far enough away from the road, so I just killed the lights and engine. I was out before my head even hit the back of the car seat.

* * *

The sound of a shotgun cocking is pretty distinct. I'm not the lightest sleeper, but even I'll wake up to that sound. So I was awake, but still hadn't gotten around to opening my eyes, when the cold end of shotgun barrel was shoved into my cheek. I opened my eyes and looked at who was at the other end of the barrel.

"Don't move."

I could definitely do that. My muscles were stiff from sitting in a car all night.

"Get out of the car."

Well, I couldn't exactly do that while not moving.

"Which is it? Don't move or get out of the car?"

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_Sorry this is so short and mostly internal dialogue. ______I still enjoyed exploring Sam's head and I hope you did too. __As a bonus, I'm planning on posting a Jessica chapter tomorrow or Wednesday __based on a flash of a scene from the new HBO promo. That one will have a lot of action._

_In the meantime, if you're interested, here's a fan-made "preview of season three" showing a love triangle between Sam, Sookie and Bill that went up just a few days after the season finale. I think it's hilarious. (I have no connection to the maker of this video-I just think it's neat!) Just copy and paste this onto the end of YouTube dot com /watch?v=wii7b_RPAOQ_

___Thank you so much for all the reviews. They're like oxygen to me and they seriously make my day! Please let me know what you think by hitting the green button._


	3. Teaser 3: In Production Tara

_A/N: I'm so sorry for the delay! Within 92 hours of when the teaser aired has to count for something, right? ;-) I'll let you get to the story, more A/N at the end of the chapter._

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"No! No! No!" I won't let this happen. I won't. I will save him.

"Get out of my way!" my voice must have sounded hysterical as I flung my arms in the air around Eggs, trying to get people to just move. My car was only a few feet away and I knew I could get Eggs there. Once he was in my car I would find a way to save him.

I slipped my hands under his shoulders and started pulling, dragging him across the parking lot. "It's okay, baby, I'm going to get you help. You'll see. You're going to be fine."

"Tara!" Arlene's shrill voice called out and I ignored her; I had one mission. Stupid Andy Bellefleur didn't know when to leave well enough alone though.

"Tara, I can't let you do that," Andy's gruff voice rung out as he stepped right in my path. "This is a crime scene, an ambulance is on the way. Not that…" His voice trailed off.

"Andy Bellefleur, you killed the one good thing I've had in my life. I don't believe for a second that Eggs was trying to kill you, and if you don't get out of my way right now, I will rain down hell on you until you're locked away for good for what you did." His face went pale as my rant poured out and he stepped out of my way after a moment. "Help me!" I screamed at him. He winced but picked up Eggs' legs and together we carried Eggs to my car. I unlocked it and we put him in the back seat.

"Don't worry, baby, I'm going to get you some help. You just hold on." I stroked Eggs' leg and squeezed it gently before closing the back door.

"Tara, don't you think…" I shot daggers into Andy with my eyes. He knew as well as I did that there were more things in this world than what most people were willing to admit. I'd never forget the screech of Mary Ann's voice as she told me "_You…summoned…me_." If I'd summoned Mary Ann somehow, I'd find a way to bring Eggs back to me.

I revved the engine and headed towards Shreveport. Thank god I wasn't one of those girls who had to carry a purse all the time. I had my cell phone in my pocket, and I put it on speakerphone and called information.

"Shreveport, Louisiana. Emilie Durand's House of Magic," I shouted to the operator. Now I knew I sounded hysterical. After everything I went through with Ms. Jeanette, I thought I was done with anything and everything mystical. But I guess Mama was right, Ms. Jeanette was real-even if she didn't know it herself.

"Connecting," droned the bored operator.

"Emilie Durand's House of Magic," the Creole accent answered crisply.

"H-hi," stammered, "Are you real?"

My question was met with silence. I wasn't explaining myself real well.

"What I mean is, do you really, truly believe in magic? Because I summoned a maenad by accident and now my boyfriend is de… Dying. And I know someone with real power could save him for me," I was babbling now, and was probably going to be laughed at, but there was a chance I could save Eggs.

"_You_ were the one who summoned the maenad?" her voice was low and deadly serious, and after a pause she continued. "What happened to him; how is he injured?"

"H-he was shot in the head," I suddenly felt like I was going to puke. But I steeled my nerves and pressed my foot on the gas pedal even harder.

"I… I'm afraid I can't do anything for you."

"No! NO! Nonononono!!!!! You have to be able to do something! Or tell me who can!"

"If… If there's a spark left, a vampire might be able to turn him. Even the worst physical injuries are healed when a vampire is turned… Though a death by magic or drug overdose can end badly, was he on any drugs?"

"No… Maybe. Maybe some weed?"

"No, that should be fine."

"Where do I go? Where can I find a vampire who'd be willing to turn him?" My voice was so desperate now. I didn't want Eggs to be dead-and that's what he would be if he was a vampire. But, but it would still be Eggs. Somehow. I could make it work. If Sookie could make it work, so could I. "Where!?" I demanded, screaming at the cell phone while passing a car that was driving much too slowly.

"Well-" And then she was cut off. She was cut off because the cell phone was crushed. And the cell phone was crushed because the car had been crushed. And the car had been crushed by a head-on collision with a semi that I hadn't seen when I was pulling into the oncoming traffic lane to pass the slow sedan.

As my body lay battered and bruised, hanging upside down, pinned only by my seatbelt in the crumpled car, I couldn't stop crying. Eggs' glassy eyes stared up at me, he had rolled during the accident onto the front windshield, which was now directly below me.

He was dead.

He was one hundred percent, certifiably dead.

I noticed parts of his brain leaking onto the windshield. Maybe they'd even been leaking back in the parking lot of Merlotte's. And I knew at that moment that I would never be the same. My world went black.

* * *

"Careful, now," the paramedic was slowly pulling me out of the wreckage. I didn't know what they'd done with Eggs, but he wasn't below me any longer. They'd also cut open my seat belt at some point. I felt dead. My eyes took in what was directly in front of them, but I wasn't really seeing. My brain wasn't processing what was going on. There were some lights flashing, some people in the background moving around, but none of it really mattered. I stared ahead with glazed eyes.

"We're going to have to take you to the hospital now."

My head shot up, and I looked the woman dead in the eyes, "No."

"It doesn't look like you have any broken bones, but you might have internal bleeding. We really need to get you to a hospital."

"I said 'no!'" I shouted with all my might. Finally I was getting some feelings back, but only rage. All I had right now was my rage. "Where did you take him!?"

Her eyes looked at me sadly. I couldn't take it. I couldn't take the pity. After all the shit I've been through in my life, I didn't need her pity. I needed Eggs.

Then it hit me all over again. He was dead and gone. Finally gone. The lady had said the vampires would need a spark. And I knew there wasn't one left. I violently swayed forward and vomited all the contents of my stomach right there in the middle of the parish road. Once I was done retching, I swiped the back of my hand across my face, and looked up at the woman again. "Where's my car? I need my things from the trunk."

She motioned to the ditch on the left side of the road, apparently the accident had popped the trunk wide open and kept it that way. "But you really shouldn't..." her voice called out to me as I limped towards my car. I reached in and grabbed the duffle bag I had put back there when I was living with my mama, I never did know when she'd been in one of her spells and I wouldn't be able to get a change of clothes. I hoisted the strap of the bag over my shoulder, wincing at the pain in my neck muscles, and started walking towards Shreveport.

"Miss! Miss! You can't go! We need your information. We need to get you to a hospital!"

I didn't even look back, "Tara Thornton from Bon Temps. And as a person over the age of 18, I am refusing medical care."

I didn't really see anything as I was walking along the side of the road. Now I felt like the walking dead and I continued on for what seemed like hours. I was hoping that I would start to feel something besides rage, even muscle pain, or the ache of my feet would be nice. Something. I didn't even know what to be mad at anymore. Andy Bellefleur, for shooting Eggs? Mary Ann, for making him do those things? Myself, for not staying with him while I knew he wasn't doing well? It hit me like a wave of a tsunami crashing down and I crumpled to the ground. My shoulders shook with my sobs and I had my arms wrapped around my knees, hugging my legs as if I could somehow forgive myself for being the sort of person that somehow attracted all these horrible things happening to her and everyone around her. It was my fault Sookie's home was destroyed. It was my fault Bon Temps was almost annihilated. It was my fault Eggs was dead.

I can't believe I was going to have Eggs turned into a vampire. What have I become? Who am I?

After crying so hard and for so long that my head ached, and my tears had literally run out, I stood up shakily, brushing the dirt and leaves off of my pants without even thinking about my action. I looked down and realized my shirt was covered in Eggs' blood. I shuddered. I had to get out of these clothes. I stripped off my shirt and pants immediately and put on new ones from my duffel bag. The fact that I was on the side of the parish road didn't even register until I saw a set of headlights headed in my direction. The car slowed down and stopped a few feet in front of me, the lights going dead. It was a dark-colored sports car. A man stepped out of the car, but I couldn't make out his face in the dark. As he approached me, I stood still. I knew I should have run, or took the mace out of my bag, or did something. But I didn't. I couldn't. If he was going to kill me, he was going to kill me, I couldn't bring myself to care. Death would be better than what I was feeling now.

The mystery man approached me, and once I could make out more than his profile. I realized he was absolutely gorgeous. Handsome in a GQ kind of way-different than Eggs though. I stood there, staring blankly at him. His eyes met mine and he simply said, "Let me take you home."

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The next thing I knew, we were sitting on the staircase of Sookie's home. I blinked a few times, and I realized I'd been glamoured. It occurred to me that he might want to drain me. And that was fine. But then I realized with a fright, he might decide to turn me instead. That was a fate far worse than death-to have to live with this pain for an eternity. I sprung up and ran for the door. He slipped in front of me, blocking my way with vampire speed and cornered me against the wall, pinning my wrists.

This couldn't be happening. After everything else that happened this night, this couldn't possibly be real. What had I done to deserve this? I cried out, "Let me go!"

His fangs sprung forward and he seethed, "Not a chance."

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_A/N - So, as you've probably noticed, I haven't posted the Jessica chapter yet. I had the chapter completely written and then realized I was soooo off-canon with her personality. So I'm back to square one, and I'm having some trouble writing her. This chapter was a struggle for me too because so soon Eggs I wasn't sure how on earth Tara would let herself connect with a man enough to bring him to Sookie's home. My take on TB Tara is that she's been so desperate for love for so long that she's willing to do anything to save Eggs. Unlike the previous chapters, I'm quite certain this will not happen on True Blood, but it still made for a good story, right? __(P.S. to any bookies, if you hadn't heard, the paperback version of D&G that came out on Tuesday has four extra pages of DitF that weren't on CH's website. They're four very important pages.)_

_Let me know what you think, please! I'm feeling uncertain about this story and I would really appreciate feedback-positive or negative! Every review means so much to me, and I try to respond to every single one._


	4. Teaser 4: In Production Jason

A/N: Thank you so much for each and every review! It means so much to me! As usual, True Blood belongs to HBO and Alan Ball.

(p.s. The first line of the story is supposed to be all together with no spaces, but FF won't let me do that for some reason!)

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_Ohmygod ohmygod ohmygod whathaveIdone? whathaveIdone? whathaveIdone?_

"Go. Get out of here!" Andy's rough drawl woke me from my stupor and I just followed his order without even thinking. I was used to that sort of thing-following orders and not thinking. In fact, not thinking was kind of a Jason Stackhouse trademark.

So why couldn't I stop thinking right now?

A bloodcurdling scream rang out through the woods and my heart just about stopped. I knew that scream. That was the scream of Gran when she learned her son was dead. That was the scream of Hadley when her mama passed of cancer. It was the scream of a woman who would never be right again because of what she'd lost.

And I was the reason Tara was screaming.

A sob broke free from my chest and my legs stopped working. The top of my body still had some momentum so I ended up collapsing forward, falling to my knees in the gravel. Hot tears streamed down my face and I tried to stop the attack of thoughts on my mind. It was as though Bon Temps High was playing Texas A&M but instead of making a play, their entire defensive line decided to tackle me-even after I'd snapped the ball. It just wouldn't stop.

_"You're going to go to hell, Jason Stackhouse," Steve Newlin's voice rang out clearly in my brain._

_"Do you ever think, just for one second, Jason?" Sookie's voice asked._

_"I can't believe you actually thought I'd protect you!" Andy's voice mocked._

_"Do you actually think you'll get away with this?" Sam's voice questioned._

_"You're going to burn, Jason," Hoyt's voice declared._

_"I am going to fuck you up, Jason Stackhouse, and ain't nobody ever going to forgive you for what you did," Tara's voice cried out viciously._

I heard ambulance sirens approaching and fear took over my body. I sprinted into the woods and started the three mile run back to my home. I imagined that running fast enough would let me travel back in time-back to before my finger curled around the trigger and pulled back. Kind of like that _Star Wars_ flick where the spaceship went fast enough around the sun so it could go back in time and kill off all the whales. Except… I was no Hans Solo. And time wasn't reversing itself. I could still hear the echo of Tara's screams and a shudder ran down my spine.

When I got home, I opened the fridge out of routine but the first thing I laid eyes on was a plate of sweet and sour chicken leftovers from before I even left for Dallas. The thick, bright red sauce reminded me of what came out of the back of Eggs' head and the whole thing flashed before my eyes again. I grabbed the nearest heavy thing and flung it across my home, smashing my mom's favorite lamp in the process.

I didn't even have to look down at my hands, I knew they were shaking.

"Get a hold of yourself, Jason Stackhouse," I gritted my teeth and willed my tears to stay with my eyeballs. The voices started overwhelming me again, this time Gran's and mom and dad's voices were in there too.

"Nnnnnnyyyyaaaaaahhhhh!" the sound roared from my throat as I grabbed my keys, and headed to my truck, slamming the house door shut behind me so hard the door frame shook. I was headed to the only place on earth I knew I could always find comfort: Kappa Alpha Zeta's sorority house.

* * *

It was about ten days and more than twice as many girls later. This time the gal I was hooking up with wanted to do it outside. Kinky, I know, but I was up for it. Sometimes good sex meant getting dirty… literally. I didn't mind a little roughhousing and this gal was much stronger than she looked, which was actually pretty hot.

After throwing me to the ground and straddling me, she suddenly pulled back. "We can't. It's too dangerous."

You don't just get a guy's engine revved up like that and just stop all of a sudden. Most of my blood was far away from my brain as I asked, "Dangerous? Why?"

* * *

_A/N - Short chapter this time. Please review and let me know what you think! T__he Star Wars/Star Trek confusion was completely on purpose. In case you missed the reference, Jason was thinking of _Star Trek IV_, where the _Enterprise_ goes back in time to save the whales... not kill them. Personally, I'm a huge Trekkie. :) _

___Did anyone else see the general HBO promo that ran before the True Blood rerun last night? ____If you missed it, I have a link to the new general promo in my profile._


	5. Teaser 5: In Production Bill

_A/N: I think next week may be the last in-production teaser since HBO announced that webisodes will begin airing on May 2nd. (The webisodes will have never-before-seen material which will not be in season three, but they will help bridge the gap between seasons two and three.) Based on the promo HBO aired, it looks like the webisodes will be *far* more satisfying than these teasers. Which is good since I can only take so much shaky handcam shots and completely out of context cliffhangers._

_Before I continue, props to yo-digitty-yo-yo and Baronessjai for being such faithful reviewers. You two seriously rock my world!_

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Teaser Five: In Production - Bill

I wake with a start. The earth fills my nostrils and holds my limbs in place; I don't need to open my eyes to know I'm buried. The soil doesn't smell familiar. It doesn't have the same clay and sediment as the rich dirt of Louisiana.

I burst out of the ground, my mind reeling, trying to recall how I got here. I remember the sting of Sookie's rejection, the savage burn of silver around my neck and then…. And then it was blank. I tear my naked body out of the ground and crouch low, scanning my surroundings. I smell traces of werewolf and see the remains of what looks like a camp-a shotgun propped up against a tree, the ashes of a campfire. There's a small log cabin to my right with a light shining in the window. I take off towards it, the warm evening air rushing against my skin as I move at vampire speed. I don't know where I am, but I know I must get out of sight before someone sees me.

Just outside the door, I stop and listen carefully. I hear the voice of an actor I remember enjoying on television decades ago. He's talking about something called, "dia-bee-tes." I hazard a peek and there's an elderly woman facing a television, her hands busy crocheting. I knock on the door, ready to glamour her as soon as she opens it.

Her voice rings out startled, after she gives a brief scream, "Bill!? Is that you?"

Unsure of myself for a moment, I quickly regain my focus and with faked sincerity and confidence I declare, "Why yes, yes it is."

"Oh my boy!" I can hear her slippers scurrying across the floor as she moves her walker haphazardly. This will be too easy. She continues rambling as she fumbles with the locks while her body leans against the creaky wall. "It's been so long since I've seen you! Where have you been, son? What kept you so long?"

My fangs leap out as I can hear her heart beating, even through the door, even with all the racket she is making. I am starved. I look down and notice for the first time that my skin is not fully healed. There are open wounds slashed across my hands and wrists. This will not do.

As soon as the door is open, I see the frail, weakened thing's face full of joy and I catch her eyes and attention immediately. "It is me, your son, invite me in."

"Oh, Bill! Won't you please come in? I've been wa-"

I don't let her finish.

Flesh from her neck is splattered against the far wall as I feast on her blood, gorging myself on her arteries. It's not as fine as Sookie's blood, but it will do. My bloodlust slowly begins to be sated, which is good since soon there is no blood left. I toss her shell of a corpse on to the couch and wipe the back of my wrist across my lips. I take in my surroundings for the first time. If she's anything like the mothers I've known, she's kept a shrine to her long-lost son, Bill, in the form of a perfectly preserved bedroom. I break down doors until I find the right one. The walls are full of baseball pennants and U.S. Army propaganda posters. I'm still moving on pure animal instinct and I don't feel an ounce of remorse as I yank open the closet and help myself to a dress shirt and some slacks.

My body is finally beginning to heal and I'm able to think straight for the first time since I've woken. I wonder if Sookie is safe. I wonder how many nights it's been since I proposed. I wonder if Eric is behind all of this. I wonder who I can take on as an ally. The queen is too uncertain. She may decide to take my head just for bothering her twice in about as many nights. I ponder my options as I shower briefly, dry myself and throw on the 70's style clothing and a pair of loafers. I quickly search the living room and find a piece of mail. Mississippi. I'm in Mississippi, very near the king's mansion. After a moment's pause, I've made my decision and I take off running into the night.

As I sprint away from the cabin, I'm not surprised when two weres try to ambush me. Using my fangs, I rip open the neck of one of the weres, and I tear off the other man's ear, spitting it out immediately.

The pathetic creature that still has a pulse cries out, "My ear! My ear!"

Filthy were-blood curdles in my mouth and my revulsion must show as I taunt, "You next?"

Before he has the opportunity to respond, I hear a horse's whinny behind me, and I pivot to find the King of Mississippi on his white horse.

"Bill Compton," he sneers, "You do have a knack for getting in trouble, don't you?"

"Your Majesty, please let me explain, I was coming to ask for your protection and assista-"

He cuts me off, rather impatiently, "Why would I give you my protection, and what could you possibly have to offer in exchange of my assistance?"

My mind races, and as soon as it hits upon something I spurt out the answer without even thinking, "A telepath."

His right eyebrow quirks up in interest and I take that as a sign to continue.

"In Dallas, there's a young man. He seems to be unknown to the vampires in Texas. You could take him as your own."

The king's eyes narrow as he considers my offer.

* * *

_A/N: Maybe the "0301" on the clapboard means the first scene of the third episode? I can't imagine TB starting off the season with Bill wearing a completely different shirt-they're usually very good about continuity from episode to episode, season to season. If you're reading these one-shots, please leave a review (critical or otherwise!) Each review really means the world to me. (Especially today, I'm having a really bad day.)_


	6. Teaser 6 and Preview

_(If you haven't seen the teaser yet, click on the link of my author name "a-phoenix-rose" to go to my profile. I have links to every single one of the teasers in my profile.)_

**Due to the nature of last night's teaser, this "chapter" is just an author's note and a snippet/preview of another story.**

For anyone who missed the last of the six teasers which aired last night, you didn't miss much... Well, that's not really true, you missed a peek at Alexander Skarsgård's "man-cuts," so maybe it was worth watching if you're into that sort of thing. (Not that I am, you know, not at all.) *clears throat* Getting back to the matter at hand, the premise of this whole fic is writing one chapter per teaser, and last night's teaser was just a different perspective of the very first scene that was teased. Since my interpretation of the scene depicted by the first and last teasers remains the same, and I stand by the first chapter of this fic as my prediction of what will happen in that scene, I really don't have anything else to write. *shrug*

I will say, however, that contrary to what seems to be popular opinion across the fandom, I believe _True Blood'_s teaser last night was misleading. It doesn't make any sense to me _at all_ that Sookie would shoot Eric. If nothing else, why would she shoot him inside her own home when she could just rescind his invitation? In season one she rescinds Bill's invitation in a moment of danger and she_knows_it works. On the other hand, Bill has told her that a silver bullet would push its way out of a vampire's body _(I happen to think that is incongruent with_True Blood_'s previously established silver/vampire mythology, but that's another discussion altogether)_, so why would Sookie even think a silver bullet would keep a vampire down? She called Eric a "big faker" in Dallas so presumably believes what Bill told her. But, I digress, that is how _True Blood_ spliced the scene together, and it's fantastic for inspiring fan chatter.

Personally, I'd love to hear your feedback on what you think about the teaser!

_(Apparently A/N alone are not allowed to be published as chapters, so here's a snippet of my "You Deserve Much Better" fic- a multi-chapter fic which shows Eric and Sookie coming together over time.)_

* * *

Unfortunately, simple is not what Eric seems to have in mind tonight.

He steps in front of the driver side door, blocking access to my ride home. I roll my eyes, fold my arms over my chest and glare at him.

"You have something I want." His words are dripping with sex and his eyes are full of the cocky smirk I've come to expect of the Sheriff. A moment of lust envelopes me, but I keep my poker face on.

_Maybe things really are back to normal...I think I'm relieved._ I stand there, tapping my toes impatiently onto the gravel parking lot, "Well, come on then, spit it out." All I want is to climb under my covers and fall fast asleep…or maybe climb in there with company.

Eric looks more than a little disappointed that I don't want to play along, and his eyes drop to the ground before he says, in a far more neutral voice, "Do you still have Godric's shirt?"

I'm a bit taken aback. This is not how I expected seeing Eric for the first time since we slept in the same bed to go. I find myself stuttering back, "Ye-yes I do. Would you like to have it?"

He raises his head to meet my eyes and his eyes are vulnerable as he softly replies, "Yes."

_I'm not going to let him get to me. His puppy dog eyes are not going to win me over. This is Eric, big, bad, manipulative, Eric._I sigh loudly, shooing him with my arms, "Well, will you get in the car already? I'll drive you to my house-that's where it is."

We both fold ourselves into my car and the silence as I'm driving along the road is unbearable. Finally, he breaks it, "Did you tell Bill about what happened?"

_Okay, silence? Waaaaayyy better. _"Uh… With Godric?" I fall back on the old dumb blond routine, but Eric's not buying it for a second. I keep staring at the road straight ahead, looking out for any deer that might be around-it's a great excuse to not meet his eyes.

His voice drops and is husky as he replies, "With us."

* * *

If you want to know what Sookie did or didn't tell Bill, check out _Aftermath _and then _You Deserve Much Better_. Also, please review! Your reviews are even better than new episodes of _True Blood_ as the feedback and critiques help me grow as a writer, and TB is just a tv show. :)


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